Illini Face Vanderbilt in NCAA Tournament Showdown

0:00On March 23rd, 7th-seated Illinois women's basketball team scraped by 10th-seated Colorado 66-57 in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Alini advanced to the round of 32 for the second year in a row, despite not playing their sharpest game. Now they face a tough 2nd-seated Vanderbilt squad on Monday at 6pm Central Time. The Commodores bring firepower, led by sophomore Michaela Blakes, the nation's top scorer at 27.1 points per game and recent SEC, Player of the Year. Blakes has been unstoppable lately, notching 30 or more points in four Vanderbilt's last five games. Illinois must find a way to limit her below 25 points, a tall order against the team that ranks 7th nationally and scoring at 85. Point 2 points per game. The Alini shine and ball security, allowing just 5.2 steals per game, second few is in the country. That'll be crucial, versus Vanderbilt's defense, which forces more than 20 turnovers nightly, especially since Illinois sometimes falters against physical opponents.

1:04To pull off the upset and reach the sweet 16 for only the third time ever, Illinois also needs to heat up from 3 point range, where they rank. 17th nationally at 35.9%, but did below 30% in recent outings. Execution here could keep them dancing deeper into March Madness.